539 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he has carried out an assessment of the concerns expressed by the representative body for partnerships and the community pillar regarding Government proposals under the targeted investment in disadvantaged areas under the PPF; the areas involved; the funding which has been designated to each area; the range of measures aimed at economic and community development; the proposals and developments there are to involve the partnership in the process; the consultations which have been held with the partnerships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8209/02]

540 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the 25 most deprived urban and rural communities which are to be targeted for investment as promised in the PPF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8210/02]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together.

The RAPID programme, revitalising areas by planning, investment and development, which was launched in early 2001 is a focused initiative by the Government to target the most concentrated areas of disadvantage in the country. The programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within the designated areas through targeting State resources, available under the national development plan.

Some 25 disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Dublin, Wicklow, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Louth were selected by Government for priority treatment under strand I of the RAPID programme. It should be noted that the Department of the Environment and Local Government is responsible for strand II of the RAPID programme which caters for provincial towns while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development is the lead Department for the CLÁR programme which is targeting rural areas.